10 award-winning clematis

Step into the world of truly exceptional clematis with these 10 award-winning varieties, each recognised with the RHS Recommended: Award of Garden Merit. Chosen for their beauty, reliability and outstanding performance, these plants have proved themselves in rigorous RHS Plant Trials, which highlight the best choices for gardens of every size and style.

Fragrant and velvety

The pale yellow bells flower from midsummer to early autumn

Dusky purple

Bold purple shades stand out against greenery

Clematis ‘Purpurea Plena Elegans’ is an extraordinary and intriguing double-flowered clematis in a rare smoky reddish purple. It has a paler centre where the backs of the petals, still tightly furled, are revealed. Flowering very generously from July to September, the extra weight of the

A type of flower that has extra petals, often having a fuller appearance. Plants with double flowers are often considered more ornamental and showy than those with single flowers, though they are generally not as good for wildlife, having little or no pollen. Some plants naturally produce double flowers, while others may be bred for this trait. Examples of plants with double flowers include roses, sunflowers, dahlias, and zinnias.

Royal roots

Striking pink petals contrast its leaves

The vivid pink, four-petalled, trumpet-shaped flowers of Clematis ‘Princess Diana’ become more flared as they mature and feature a slightly reddish bar through each petal. They open over a long season from July to October. Raised by Barry Fretwell, who also raised ‘Arabella’, it was originally known as ‘The Princess of Wales’ but renamed to avoid confusion with an older variety of the same name. Prune hard in spring. Height 2-2.5m (6-8ft). Hardiness rating H5.

Deep violet

Flowers from mid-summer to late autumn.

Raised in Poland in the 1980s by the well-known clematis breeder Brother Stefan Franczak, Clematis ‘Polish Spirit’ is reckoned to be one of the easiest of all clematis to grow. Its deep purple-blue flowers, with their slightly purplish red bar and deep red anthers, open in July, August and September and a simple hard prune in spring will set it up for a prolific summer. Height 3-4m (10-13ft). Hardiness rating H6. 

Twisted petals

Thrives in exposed or sheltered areas

From the continuing clematis breeding programme of Raymond Evison, Clematis Petit Faucon (‘Evisix’) is a short

A plant produced by crossing two distinct parents, often different species, to produce offspring that combine the characteristics of both. Hybrids can occur naturally, but crosses are often made deliberately by plant breeders to produce plants with better yield, improved flowering or vigour, or improved disease resistance.

Distinctive flowers

The flowers have 4-6 deeply veined rich claret-red sepals and contrasting creamy-yellow stamens

A very distinctive clematis, known for the unusually bright red colouring of its flowers with purplish overtones, and the twist that develops in the petals as they mature, Clematis ‘Madame Julia Correvon’ dates back to 1900 and is a long-time favourite. It is ideal for training into mature shrubs and for which the simple pruning is a hard cut back in spring. Height 2.5-3m (8-10ft). Hardiness rating H6.

Tropical-looking 

 Large silky seed-heads develop on older flowers

Clematis ‘Lambton Park’ has large, bright yellow, four-petalled lemon-peel flowers that open in late May and continue into the autumn on vigorous plants. The flowers are coconut scented and for much of its season the silvery seed heads overlap with flowering to provide an unusual, interesting season of interest. Found growing in a Durham garden centre in 1985. Prune hard in spring, but best left to scramble through a tree. Height 4-5m (13-16ft6in). Hardiness rating H6.

Popular choice

Flower size spreads up to 10cm in late summer

The one clematis almost everyone knows, Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ has slightly nodding, four-petalled deep purple flowers that open in generous numbers through July, August and September. The original named plant dates back to the mid 1860s, but today’s version may not be the same as the 19th century original introduced by George Jackman, which is probably lost. Prune hard in spring. Height 3-4m (10-13ft). Hardiness rating H6.

Dainty flowers

Tones of deep mauve shine through the blue

The first widely grown hybrid between a herbaceous

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

Stark white

Pearly-white flowers stand contrasting the dark green foliage

Clematis ‘Huldine’ is a very large and vigorous

Deciduous refers to plants (mainly trees and shrubs) that lose their leaves seasonally, usually during autumn. This is a natural process triggered by the season's shorter days and lower temperatures and allows plants to conserve energy during the winter months.